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Donating to nonprofits in times of crisis

The urge to help less fortunate members of a community increases during times of crisis. This was the case of many volunteers in Colorado in the wake of the catastrophic flooding earlier this year. According to a report on Religion Today, after the flood, a volunteer disaster relief unit from Samaritan’s Purse arrived in Boulder County to help homeowners by removing mud, debris and ruined belongings from homes. The team is stationed at Rocky Mountain Christian Church in Niwot, Colorado within 15 minutes of the hard-hit communities of Lyons, Clark and Longmont. As soon as the team arrived, staff and volunteers began providing tools and equipment to local churches already engaged in relief efforts, and shortly thereafter entered some of the affected areas to begin helping victims.

The floods, caused by torrential rains that began on September 9, destroyed at least 1,800 homes in the two hardest-hit Colorado counties of Boulder and Larimer and caused property losses estimated at nearly $2 billion statewide.

When catastrophes like this happen, it’s hard to discern which of the more than 1.5 million nonprofits registered in the United States to support. The staggering number alone can make it rather difficult for people to decide which charity to help, especially if there are multiple charity groups that support the same cause. As such, here are a few tips for choosing the right nonprofit.

Proper research
While some charities support people in specific circumstances, other charities only support afflicted people in certain geographical areas. donating, make sure that you take the time to research exactly what you want to accomplish so that you can choose the charity that closest aligns with your beliefs.

Legitimacy
Although rare, there are some people who stage fake fundraising for nonprofits and prey on kind and generous givers. If you are concerned with the legitimacy of an organization, you can confirm the validity of any nonprofit through your local charity bureau. Doing your part will help to make sure that your donations reach the people you want to help.

After selecting a charity to support by following the steps above, you should be ready to donate. However, donating money from your bank account is not the only way to support a worthy cause. You can raise funds through a charity bake sale or participate in an online auction such as the eBay Giving Works program which provides online fundraising for nonprofit organizations.